


The Happiest Holiday

by lhknox



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Bookstore, F/F, Fluff, Hanukkah, Holidays, Inspired by Hallmark Christmas Movies, Jewish Danvers Family, Jewish Holidays, Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-25 01:48:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20024548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lhknox/pseuds/lhknox
Summary: Bookstore owner and local scrooge Alex Danvers refuses to participate in the annual Christmas Village Window Decoration competition.Bakery owner Maggie Sawyer hopes this is the year she can convince her otherwise.A Hallmark movie-inspired Christmas in July fic





	The Happiest Holiday

**Author's Note:**

> basically it's just 5 thousand words of me overindulging myself lmao
> 
> you can pry the jewish danvers sisters from my cold, jewish hands
> 
> unbeta'd duh.

It’s not the first time Maggie has shown up unannounced on Alex’s doorstep. In fact, it seems to be something of a habit for her these days. A stupid, annoying habit.

But luckily for Alex, Maggie brings freshly baked cookies every time she knocks.

This time, though, when Alex opens the door, she thinks an angel is standing there.

The light of the street lamps shines off of the hours-old snow that has settled along the sidewalk behind them, and it makes Maggie look like she’s glowing. She doesn’t even care that Maggie’s in her store after hours after a particularly long holiday-rush kind of day. For just a moment, just staring at Maggie, Alex is truly rendered breathless.

“I come with gifts,” Maggie says as she holds up a plate, a broad smile plastered firmly on her face. Alex tries not to look at the dimples that form on her cheeks, knowing they’ll throw her off. She returns the smile with a frown.

“Those cookies aren’t going to change my mind,” Alex says bluntly, desperately trying to keep an air of nonchalance despite how nervous Maggie makes her. She takes a cookie off the plate anyway.

Maggie huffs. “Come on, Alex!”

“I’ve told you a thousand times, I’m not putting up Christmas decorations in my window. Never have, never will.”

“Has anybody ever told you you’re a bit of a buzzkill?”

“My sister has consistently told me that since I was fourteen.”

“And it hasn’t made you like, wanna change?”

Alex shrugs. “I mean, my sister has also cried over spilled milkshakes so I take anything she has to say with a grain of salt.”

“It’s your fault all these old women keep riding my ass, you know.” Maggie says, gesturing to the now-quiet street of Downtown Midvale and the dark shopfronts that face them. “You’re the only shop that never participates in the Christmas Village Decoration competition and they all think you’re detracting from tourism or Christmas cheer or whatever.”

“Women riding your ass sounds like something you should be thanking me for,” Alex grins, taking another cookie from the plate. “And I’ve been telling Mrs. McClusky the same thing for years at this point: I don’t do Christmas decorations, and I’m not gonna do it just because some Shop Owners Guild gets worked up about it.”

“I know,” Maggie sighs. “I just thought maybe you’d do it for me.”

“Sorry, bud,” Alex says, immediately cringing at herself. Bud? Really? A beautiful woman is standing at the door and she calls her bud? “If it makes you feel any better, your sugar cookies are the greatest thing I’ve ever tasted.”

“That’s…. Sad. Nice of you to say, but god, you’ve gotta expand your palate.”

“Wow, you insulting my palate isn’t gonna make me want to help you.”

Maggie sighs again. “You’re a lost cause, might as well make the most of it and insult you.”

They stand there, on the shop stoop for just a moment longer, regarding each other under the moonlight, soft smiles on both of their faces. Alex decides to shoot her shot.

“Do you wanna--” she says at the same time Maggie says,

“I should get going.”

“Right, yeah, of course? I’m sure you’re super busy this time of year.”

“I’ve got a whole bunch of prep I still have to do tonight before we open at the crack of dawn tomorrow,” Maggie replies with a nod. Her silky waves bounce as she nods, and Alex feels her mouth go dry.

“I- I get it, I have a bunch of orders to go through, too.” Alex replies lamely. “You making your blueberry pies tomorrow?” Maggie’s blueberry pies, though Alex could never say this out loud, were infinitely better than Eliza’s, and she got one whenever Kara was coming into town.

“I hadn’t planned on it, but I can make one specially.”

“Amazing,” Alex breathes. “My sister’s coming into town tomorrow afternoon.”

“Your sister’s coming? In that case I’ll make three.” she says with a wink. Alex laughs.

“You’re the best, Maggie.”

“I know,” she laughs, before heading back down the street. “Goodnight!”

And just like that she’s gone.

If she were less cynical, Alex might’ve told her why she didn’t want to decorate her front window. But Alex is what her grandmother would’ve called a  _ davkanik _ , a playful Hebrew term for a stubborn, somewhat spiteful person. 

And if she were a bit braver, Alex might’ve asked Maggie if she wanted to grab coffee sometime, like a date. Or maybe she would’ve gone in for an impromptu kiss as snow fell softly behind them. But life isn’t a Hallmark movie and those sort of things don’t happen. So instead, Alex locks up the store and heads upstairs to her apartment with the taste of sugar cookies on her lips and the wonder of everything that could be in her heart. 

///

In the middle of a busy morning rush, Maggie still notices the gorgeous blonde stranger wearing a light up Christmas sweater and clashing scarf.

The bell jingles as the door opens, and Maggie whips her head up just for a moment, and then gives herself whiplash when she looks back immediately. The tall stranger has a bright smile on her face and her cheeks are flushed from wind burn. Her sweater has giant snowflakes on a sky blue background, making the blue of her eyes even more extraordinary.

“Happy holidays, everybody! Happy Yuletide!” she says as though she’s a regular. Her cheer is infectious because even the grumpiest of Maggie’s customers smile and mumble something in response. The stranger takes a ticket from the machine and stands patiently in line, humming along to the Christmas radio station. There’s something familiar about her, but Maggie can’t quite put her finger on it. She serves customers, her eyes flickering toward the stranger every few minutes or so to make sure she’s still there. 

Despite the long wait, by the time she gets to the counter, the stranger still has a smile on her face. Maggie still can’t quite place what is so familiar about her.

“Hiya!” she says enthusiastically, and Maggie can’t help but grin back at her. 

“Good morning,” she replies. “How can I help?”

“I’m here to pick up an order for my sister,” she says. “It’s somewhere between one and three blueberry pies? She wasn’t sure how many which sounds weird but I dunno, who am I to judge somebody’s pie ordering habits?”

The penny drops. “You must be Alex’s sister!”

Though seemingly impossible, her smile grows even larger at the mention of Alex.

“You’re Maggie!!! I’m Kara, I’m such a huge fan of your baked goods.” Kara reaches over the counter and offers Maggie a hand. She shakes it.

“I’m a huge fan of your sister,” Maggie says, “even if she is giving me grief.”

“Well if you ever need help with handling her, I know all the best tricks.”

Maggie raises an eyebrow. “Christmas lights in the shop window?” 

Kara throws her head back and laughs. Maggie can’t help but smile at Kara’s genuine joy at her sister’s expense. 

“Sorry,” Kara says. “But not even my best younger-sister-puppy-dog-eyes can win you that argument.”

“It was worth a shot,” Maggie replies. She liked how easy it was to talk to Kara, the same way it is with Alex. “I’ll grab your pies from out the back, just give me a second.”

In the kitchen, Maggie gathers the pies into boxes, a small smile still on her face. Kara appears to be Alex’s polar opposite, the perfect sunny balance to Alex’s surly demeanour. She peeks her head out kitchen door, and watches Kara chat with a little girl in her mother’s arms. She leans on the counter, her hands splayed against the countertop.

Maggie finally figures out what had been so familiar about Kara. Sure, she doesn’t look anything like Alex, and her demeanour seems to be the polar opposite of Alex’s permanent seriousness. But there’s something in the way they both take up space in a room, the way they totally emit a certain ease in being who they are. It’s the type of self-assuredness that probably came from natural talents as well as supportive parents, the type of confidence that makes others feel both inferior and comfortable around them at the same time.

(Okay, so Maggie has spent a lot of time thinking about Alex, but what about it?)

Maggie walks back to the counter and hands Kara the boxes.

“How much do I owe you?” 

Maggie shakes her head. “Don’t worry about it. On the house.”

“Don’t be crazy--”

“I’m telling you, it’s fine. They’re on me.”

Kara sighs. “Fine. But I hope you know that you’re forcing me to buy a dozen cupcakes and then tip you a ridiculous amount to make up for it.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Maggie laughs, as she begins boxing up some cupcakes. “Your sister may be grumpy, but as the only business owner my own age on the strip, she keeps me sane at all the Guild meetings Mrs. McClusky forces us to attend.” She hands Kara the cupcakes.

“Well in that case,” Kara says with what Maggie can only describe as a sly, troublesome smile. “You should come over for dinner. Tonight. As a thank you for all the baked goods.”

In all her years of being Alex’s shop neighbour (and real neighbour - they both lived above their stores), she had never been to Alex’s apartment. In fact, their relationship had been annoyingly professional, even more so since Maggie became president of the guild. Part of her thinks that Alex - surly, closed off, serious Alex - would hate having Maggie in her personal space unannounced. 

But the other, louder part of her that’s head over heels in like with Alex is yelling at her to shut up and accept the invitation.

“Sounds great,” Maggie says, though she’s unsure it’s anything other than foolish. 

“Let’s say seven? And don’t even think of bringing anything over.”

And just like that, the mini whirlwind that is Kara Danvers is gone. And Maggie has to go the rest of the day being nervous for dinner.

///

“You did  _ what _ ?” Alex hisses in a quiet whisper. Kara rolls her eyes. Her sister could be so dramatic sometimes. She trails Alex as she reshelves books. They do it just like they did when they were kids -- Kara holds a gigantic stack far too heavy for regular people, and Alex takes them from her to put them back where they belong.

“I invited Maggie over for dinner.”

“Why. Why would you do something so reckless and stupid and--”

“Oh my god, stop,” Kara says. “It’s just dinner. Besides, you should be thanking me! Maggie’s cute! She’s got the whole dimples thing going on and her hair is really shiny!” 

Alex looks around the bookstore, as though it’s going to be filled with Maggie’s spies. Kara rolls her eyes for what feels like the thousandth time since arriving in Midvale.

“That’s the problem!” Alex finally says. “She’s cute and I really like her and I don’t need an awkward dinner with her and you in my life right now!”

“She’s been your neighbour for, what, five years now? And you’ve not once made a move! This is your time!”

Alex huffs, forcing a stubborn book into its rightful place. “I don’t even know if she’s actually gay or if I’m just, like, projecting my desire, y’know?”

“That,” Kara says, pausing for emphasis. “Is the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard you say.”

“What’s the proof?”

“Her bakery is called Sappho’s,” Kara says, shifting the weight of the books in her arms. “There’s a giant pride flag flying outside year round. She smiles when she hears your name and she gives you free things. What else do you need?”

“That’s all… circumstantial at best.”

“What, so unless I see her fucking a woman while she’s reciting Emily Dickinson, my proof is circumstantial? Just get over yourself and ask her out!”

“Because I don’t want to and that should be enough of a reason!”

Kara shrugs as best she can with her arms still laden with books. “Okay, alright. I get it.” She pauses. “Except that I don’t.”

Alex sighs. “I just… This bookstore takes up so much of my time. And I know, I know, I need a healthier work-life balance, but that can wait. For now, I just need to make sure Danvers Books stays open because Zeidy managed to keep it open and then so did Mom, so I cannot be the Danvers who makes this fail.”

“Alex, if you need help with the shop, you can tell me--”

“I just don’t need you riding my back because I know Maggie’s favourite childhood books but can’t ask her out on a date or whatever.”

“... You know Maggie’s favourite childhood books?”

“Kara.”

“You’re right. Well, you’re not. But I won’t push it anymore. But she’s still coming for dinner, as my guest. And you can’t refuse because otherwise I’m not coming either and you’ve already made the soup so it’d be a waste.”

“Fine.” The bell rings as someone enters the shop. “You finish stacking these, and I’ll go help that customer.”

It almost kills her, but Kara does as she’s told.

///

“Sappho’s Bakery, this is Maggie speaking.”

“Maggie, it’s Kara. Quick, what were your favourite books as a kid?”

“Uhh… Madeline, and a book of poetry by Shel Silverstein.”

“The Giving Tree?”

“No, Where the Sidewalk Ends. Why--”

“Kthanksgottagobye!”

///

Maggie’s nervous as she knocks on the door. There are no Christmas decorations, but there is a hastily scribbled ‘Welcome home, Kara’ taped to it. Maggie smiles despite her nerves.

Almost as soon as she knocks, the door flies open, and Kara stands there, a smile beaming on her face. Behind her is a cosy living room, with what appear to be the most comfortable couches Maggie’s ever seen.

“Maggie! Welcome! Let me take your coat.”

Kara barely gives her enough time to pull her jacket off before yanking it from her hands.

“Take a seat anywhere, Alex is just finishing up in the kitchen.”

Maggie doesn’t take a seat. Instead, she makes a beeline for the bookshelf; how often do you get to judge a bookkeeper’s own collection?

But instead of guilty pleasure chick-lit, she finds dozens of oversized leather books on the shelf, all of them with strange lettering on the side. She runs a finger down one of the spines and for a moment, she feels like she’s back in her aunt’s office with dreams of being a big-shot law professor, just like Aunt Issy was. Photo frames sit on the shelves, in front of the books, and Maggie smiles as she spots a much younger, braces-clad Alex standing in an awkwardly-cut fancy dress.

“If you ever mention that photo outside of this house, I’m banning you from the bookshop,” comes a voice from behind her. Maggie turns and sees Alex carrying in a plate of what look like fancy hash browns. 

“You look more uncomfortable than I did at my quinceanera,” Maggie says with a small laugh.

“Just more proof that every culture has a way to embarrass the hell out of young girls for no reason other to assert her femininity,” Alex says.

“Boo,” Kara calls out as she reenters the room. “You’re just mad because your Bat Mitzvah teacher said your speech was too political and made you cut like half of it.”

Alex huffs angrily. “I’ll never forgive Rebbetzin Weiss for that.”

Maggie frowns. She looks at the strange lettering on the books, at the photo of Alex at what is apparently her Bat Mitzvah. By the window, she spots an nine-armed candelabrum with two lit candles in it, and a hastily hung, now-drooping banner that says ‘Happy Chaunkah’ on the wall beside it.

“Wait,” she says slowly. “You’re Jewish?”

Alex and Kara look at each other for a moment, before bursting into laughter.

“What? What are you laughing at?”

“It sounded like you just found out I was Supergirl or something,” Kara laughs, before coughing. “Not uh, not like I’m Supergirl. That’s just ridiculous.”

_ Note to self, Kara sort of looks like Supergirl. _

“It’s just, you’ve never mentioned being Jewish before,” Maggie says. 

“I mean, I don’t hide it,” Alex replies. “My shop is closed every year on the High Holidays--”

“-- you mean the High Holidays aren’t just you smoking weed and chilling for a few days?”

“And I never put up Christmas decorations in the window. And there are mezuzot on every doorway of the store.”

“A what?”

“That little rectangle on the doorframes,” Kara says, picking up and biting into a hash brown with ease, despite the steam that rises off the plate. “Little Jewish house protection things,” she adds, despite her full mouth.

“I can’t believe you really didn’t know,” Alex says. 

“Who CARES!” Kara exclaims. “The latkes are getting cold and I’m hungry. Can we please eat??”

Before Maggie can say anything else, Alex laughs at her sister.

“Go get the salad, you loser.” Kara disappears for a moment, and then is back with a salad, almost impossibly fast. 

Maggie reckons she was maybe fourteen when she last had just hashbrowns - or, as the Danvers called them, Latkes? - for dinner. She sits down beside Alex, who puts a few on her plate and passes them to Maggie.

“So is there, like, cultural significance to the latkes?” she asks as she passes them to Kara.

“The Chanukah miracle involved so oil, so now we eat oil.” Alex says. “When it comes down to it, we’re simple folk.”

“And Hannukah is the one with the Greeks? I think I saw the Rugrats special about it.”

“That special changed my life,” Kara sighs wistfully. “Those babies really knew their shit.”

Maggie has about a thousand other questions, but instead she waits for the cue of when she’s allowed to eat. She’s not sure what she expects, some sort of saying grace or whatever, but she’s only mildly shocked when the Danvers sisters just dig in straight away and start eating.

“What?” Alex says with a mouthful of latke, when she spots Maggie staring. “Is there something on my face?”

“Are there no, uh, food prayers?”

“Oh, there are,” Kara says, her mouth somehow even more full than Alex’s. Maggie smiles despite herself. “We just usually bust those out on the bigger holidays.”

“We kinda do the minimum requirements unless it’s the High Holy Days. Which means we light the candles, we eat the food-”

“And we give the presents,” Kara interjects. “NOT like Christmas,” she adds, as though she could sense Maggie’s next question. She takes a quick break from eating, and pulls a couple of wrapped gifts from the sideboard. 

“For Alex from me,” she says, handing one to Alex. “For me, from Alex.” She places one in front of herself. She passes the remaining one to Maggie. “For Maggie, from Alex.”

“You didn’t have to do that!” Maggie gushes to a bright-red Alex.

“You’re right,” Alex says, through gritted teeth. “In fact, it’s almost like I didn’t do it. Forget about it.”

“But I didn’t bring you guys anything!”

“You gave us delicious baked goods this morning,” Kara says, trying to avoid Alex’s glare. “Enough talk, let’s open presents!”

Kara ‘oohs’ over the harmonica and beginners’ guide she had received from Alex. Alex has a small smile on her face as she inspects the records from Kara.

Maggie slowly, and somewhat self-consciously, tears open the wrapping of her own gift. She gasps as she looks down at the gift that peeks out from under the paper, and she feels tears prick in her eyes. 

“Is this--” she says, her voice catching. She looks up, and sees Kara beaming at her. Alex frowns. “Shel Silverstein.”

“A first edition,” Kara says. “Alex ordered it in specially.”

Maggie reaches across the table and places her hand atop Alex’s.

“Thank you. Thank you very much,” she says, her voice still thick with emotion. “My original copy is still at my aunt’s place and I haven’t been able to read it for so long.”

“I remember,” Alex says softly. “You told me once, a couple of years ago. I sourced this copy and... “ she hesitates. “I guess I finally found the perfect time to give it to you.”

Maggie’s painfully aware that her hand is still on Alex’s, but she can’t bring herself to let go just yet. Instead she hopes, she hopes that her touch and her smile can convey just how thankful she is, because her words seem to be failing her.

But she thinks Alex gets her, because she doesn’t try to pull away, either. She just smiles right back at her.

  
  


///

  
  


“Kara needs to work on her subtlety,” Alex says, as she dries the last of the dishes that Maggie hands her. “I’m really sorry for her whole… schtick of pretending she had somewhere else she needed to be, even though she’s a terrible actor.”

“Hey, I’ve seen worse actors. Like that time you tried to convince me that you hadn’t drunkenly stolen my pride flag, despite the fact you were wearing it.” Maggie replies with a laugh. She dries her hands and passes Alex the tea towel. She sips her wine, and Alex follows suit with a grimace.

“Well to be fair, that was also Kara’s fault. She got me drunk.”

“You’re not the one who needs to be apologising, anyway,” Maggie says. 

“Please don’t bring up the lack of gifts thing,” Alex says, leading Maggie back to the living room as she does so. They sit on the couch together, annoyingly in sync.

“Can I ask something?” Maggie says softly. Alex nods. “Kara was in my store today in a Christmas sweater and singing carols and exuding more Christmas cheer than Santa Claus himself.”

“Hate to be a dick, but that wasn’t a question.”

“Because I feel dumb asking if it’s a Jewish law or something to not like Christmas and if Kara’s breaking it.”

Alex laughs. “Technically the Christmas cheer isn’t breaking any laws? Depends who you ask. My anti-Christmas stance isn’t a religious thing. I mean, I do the bare minimum for religion, and even then it’s not really for God or whatever. I just… A long time ago, I got fed up with everybody expecting me to go along with it. Expecting me to participate for the sake of not being a downer or whatever. It can be exhausting, not being Christian, especially at this time of year. And at some point, I just got too stubborn for my own good and I dug my heels in and stopped giving a shit about what people wanted me to do or be. Kara, on the other hand, has spirit of all kinds coming out the wazoo. She gets excited for Presidents Day. If she can wear a themed outfit and sing some songs, she’s happy. She won’t put up a Christmas tree or go to Mass or whatever, but she’ll do pretty much everything but.

“I feel like I have so much to apologise for, and it’s not the gifts thing,” Maggie says. It’s just… Before tonight. And before I realised you were Jewish, I guess… I just thought you were sort of a Grinch? That you were refusing to hang decorations because you hated Christmas and enjoyed making my life harder than necessary.” She winces. “Sorry, that sounds really shitty now that I think about it. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Alex laughs. “Our bookstore’s been on this strip for three generations already. Mrs. McClusky knows why we don’t do decorations and still insists on trying to force us.”

And then suddenly, Maggie’s angry. “She  _ knows _ you’re Jewish and she still makes me harass you about the decorations??”

“Yeah. It’s really not a big deal--”

“No, it is! Look, I don’t know what it’s like to be Jewish, but I do know what it’s like when people try to force something on you because they think it’s what’s best.”

Alex holds up her hands in defeat. “You’re right, it sucks.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? We could’ve avoided a whole headache.”

Alex shrugs. “I thought you knew, to be honest. Sometimes I forget we’ve only known each other for a few years-”

“Five years,” Maggie interjects.

“Right,” Alex smiles. “Five years. I also sort of stopped talking about it with my friends. I learned a long time ago that not many people like to hear me go on about being Jewish or whatever.”

“I don’t want you to feel like that with me,” Maggie says as she leans forward. “I know we’re mostly work acquaintances, but I really like you and want you to feel like you can be exactly who you are around me.”

“That’s very kind of you.”

“I’m a baker, kindness is part of the job.” She pauses, and then, “Oh my god!” 

Alex startles. “What’s wrong?”

“I’ve been giving you baked goods for years!” Maggie replies, horrified.

“Were those… accidental?”

“Alex, I don’t think they’re kosher!! I’ve been, like, spiritually poisoning you for years!”

Maybe it’s the wine or maybe it’s the fact that Maggie is so incredibly sincere and serious and Alex feels nothing but soft affection for her, but she throws her head back and laughs and laughs and laughs.

“I promise you,” Alex says, finally calming down. “Your baked goods have been nothing but a blessing on this household.”

“But they’re--”

“Like I said, the religion thing’s complicated. Don’t worry about it, I swear,” Alex smiles, reassuringly. She feels a surge of affection for Maggie and her kind-heartedness that felt rarely genuine.

With the smallest hint of deja vu, they regard each other once more. For Maggie, it’s Alex more comfortable than Maggie’s ever seen her; in her own home, a quietly confident square to her shoulder. And for Alex, it’s the understated dimple that accompanies the permanent smile on Maggie’s face, and her eyes filled with care and compassion and wisdom Alex knows only comes with heartache.

And suddenly, Alex realises they’re awfully close to one another, unable to keep a distance, like a magnet drawn to its opposing half.

“Hey,” Alex starts. “Did you maybe wanna--”

“KIDS DOWNSTAIRS AMBUSHED ME WITH SNOWBALLS AND I RETALIATED BUT IT WAS TOO LATE AND I WAS OVERPOWERED AND NOW I’M COLD.” Kara bellows, bursting dramatically into the apartment. She stops short when she sees Alex and Maggie now on opposite ends of the couch. She pulls a face. “Did I interrupt something?”

“No!” Maggie replies, all too quickly. She stands from the couch. “I was just leaving.”

“Oh,” Kara says, disappointed.

“Oh,” Alex echoes, even more so.

“I have an early start, and --” she pulls her scarf around her neck and slips on her coat. “Thank you very much for dinner. It was lovely.”

The door shuts lightly behind her, leaving the Danvers sisters alone again.

“That was weird,” Kara frowns, completely oblivious. “What happened while I was gone?”

And with a disappointing accuracy, Alex replies,

“Nothing.”

///

Kara calls her a masochist for going on a morning run on the coldest morning of the year.

And on the home stretch, Alex thinks she might’ve been right. Her entire body is icy hot and her cheeks are a bright wind-burnt red and each inhale of breath sets her lungs on fire. She pushes herself as far as she can, trying in vain to rid herself of thoughts of Maggie and their strange interaction the night before.

Alex had been kissed lots of times in her life, and yet somehow, this one instant of  _ not  _ kissing Maggie felt more charged, more electric, more important than anything else she’d ever encountered. It’s all just so incredibly frustrating, this person right in front of her, who’s been there for so long, with so much wasted time already behind them. 

Not that any of that mattered, because Maggie had been decidedly uninterested, if her abrupt exit was anything to go by. So perturbed by even the thought of kissing Alex, it sent her running.

Her feet pound against the pavement with an unrelenting forcefulness as she finishes the very last part of her circuit, bringing her full-circle outside Maggie’s bakery. She bends over, trying to catch her breath against the cold morning air, almost too afraid to look up at Maggie’s storefront, in case she catches a glimpse of her.

But when she finally stands up, trying to ignore the stitch in her side, she gasps.

Maggie’s shop window - her award winning, impeccably dressed-for-the-season, Christmas decorated shop window - is entirely bare, devoid of any and all Christmas cheer. Instead, in one corner there’s a small Christmas tree, and next to it, is a comically large Chanukiah. 

She wants to go in and talk to Maggie, she really does. But she’s already running late and there’ll be plenty of time later in the day to ask her where the hell she got that Chanukiah on such short notice. No, she’d ask her - _ what kind of game are you playing, not kissing me, and then making me fall for you even harder than I was before? _

Instead, Alex unlocks the door to the apartment complex and makes her way up the steps. She considers going to Maggie’s apartment and confronting her there, but only for a moment. When she steps onto her landing, she spies a basket sitting on her welcome mat. She picks it up before opening her apartment door, salivating at the smell coming from it. 

“I’m home!” she calls out to Kara wherever she is in the house, before lifting the tea towel that covers the basket. She gasps, though only slightly, at what greets her: Chanukah themed cookies in a tupperware box and sufganiyot so fresh she could practically see the steam still rising off them.

“Why do I smell heaven??” Kara asks, drifting into the living room. She spots the basket and investigates their contents with an excited gasp.

“Alex, this girl is  _ whipped _ !” she says before stuffing half a sufganiyah into her mouth. “Jush ashk ‘er out already!”

“I-”

“You like her,” Kara cuts her off, swallowing an inhuman amount of donut. “And she likes you! I know you have your hands full with the book shop, but that’s not going to be a problem anymore.”

Alex frowns. “What do you mean?”

“I’m moving back home for a bit. All this family stuff… it shouldn’t fall just on you. And before you say anything, I know how much you love running the place. So I’m not gonna step on any toes or anything, just… help with whatever you need. You need to have a life outside the dang shop. Preferably with Maggie. And maybe you could get a dog or something, who knows.”

“But what about your job? What about being Supergirl?”

Kara shrugs. “I’ve been thinking about taking some time off, anyway, maybe writing the book I’ve wanted to write for forever. And as for being Supergirl, I’m faster than a speeding bullet! If there’s a gigantic emergency, I’ll still be able to help. But crime is down as a whole across the board. This would be a good time to step back and let people try and do good for a while.”

Alex throws one arm around her sister, hugging her as tightly as she can with the muffin basket still in her other one.

“Ew, you’re all sweaty!”

“Too bad!”

Kara laughs and shoves Alex away. “Go shower and then go ask Maggie out on a date. I’ll open up the shop, don’t worry about a thing.”

And for the first time in her life, Alex does as she’s told.

///

“We’re not open yet,” Maggie calls out when she hears the bell chime with the opening of the door. And then the bell on the counter rings. She huffs and drops the cookie cutter she’s using.

She opens the door to the front of the shop.

“I said we’re--” she stops dead, swallowing the rest of her sentence.

Alex stands in the middle of the empty store, her thick winter coat zipped up to just under her chin. Maggie feels herself melt at the way Alex’s eyes seem to light up at the sight of her, at the small smile that plays on her lips. 

“Hey,” she says, slightly breathless. Through the window behind her, Maggie can see snow swirling in the morning light.

“Hi,” Maggie replies. “I hope you got to the basket before Kara did.”

Alex laughs, edging towards the counter. “I did, but I made the mistake of leaving her alone with them now.”

Maggie mimics Alex’s movements, also taking small steps to her side of the counter.

“Rookie mistake,” Maggie tells her. “Even I know that.”

“I’ve brought you a gift as a thank you.”

Maggie rolls her eyes. “You didn’t have to--”

Alex unzips her coat to reveal a gaudy, blue knit sweater with a chanukiah and dreidls on it.

“Happy Chanukah,” she laughs, and Maggie laughs with her. “I thought I’d give in this once, and show some holiday cheer in public.”

“It suits you. Almost too much.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Why’d you take down your decorations?” Alex asks softly. She rests her hands on the counter and leans forward.

“Because it was the right thing to do. I also told Mrs. McClusky that we’re changing the name of the Christmas Village competition to the Winter Wonderland Holiday competition.”

“Why else? Why the baked goods on my doorstep?”

“You know why.”

Alex shakes her head. “I want to hear you say it. I need to hear you say it.”

“I took down the decorations and I changed the name of the competition and I’ve spent the past five years giving you free baked goods because I  _ like  _ you, you dork. I’ve liked you ever since I rented this shop and the apartment above it that happened to be right next to yours. I’ve liked you since I brought you a basket of welcome muffins and in return you gave me a bundle of your favorite books. I feel like I’ve been a bad friend to you, but I want you to know that I love being your friend.” Her breath hitches. “And I want more than just friendship with you, Alex.”

“For what it’s worth, I’ve loved having you as a friend, and you’ve been a great one. But I reckon I’ll like having you as my girlfriend even more.”

Alex leans across the counter and kisses Maggie. Her nose is freezing and her shampoo smells like strawberry and Maggie knows she probably has flour on her face but none of it matters. Because kissing Alex feels so perfectly and utterly natural that everything else just falls away.

In time, Alex will have to go back to her own shop and tell Kara everything that’s happened and spend all day thinking about Maggie.

In time, Maggie will take Alex on their first date and they’ll make love beside the fireplace. Alex will read to Maggie and Maggie will bake challah for her every Friday night as they fall into their shared life.

In time, they’ll share an apartment and get married and start holiday traditions for their small, growing family.

But for now, none of that matters. For now, nothing matters but the moment they’re in together.

And they are happy.

**Author's Note:**

> as always feel free to follow me @murdershegoat on tumblr and @lhknox2 on twitter!


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